In Other News · United States

Source: Axios

Top party strategists may hate seeing one of their candidates gutted by a brutal ad. But they can still admire the hit.Why it matters: A record $11.6 billion has plastered political ads across screens of every size in the country during the 2026 midterms. Only a handful of those earned the grudging respect of operatives on both sides.📺 Zoom in: Multiple Republican strategists singled out the "brutal" series of ads attacking Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kans.) over lawsuits against patients with overdue medical bills — some of whom were later arrested. Against the advice of his own team, Marshall released a self-directed ad answering the attacks.In Nebraska, an ad highlighting a past vote by former Gov. Pete Ricketts to pardon a man convicted of rape was singled out by both parties as one of the cycle's most damaging. Ricketts is expected to win re-election to the Senate.In Maine, an upbeat jingle hit Democratic nominee Troy Jackson for having children with his second cousin. "If he'll f**k his own family, he'll f**k yours too," the radio ad said (among other things). Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) called for the ad to be taken down.And in Florida, Rep. María Salazar (R-Fla.) turned on her...